Bulgaria will not push for Hezbollah blacklisting

The Associated Press

Bulgaria says it won't initiate a push to declare Hezbollah a terror group after last summer's bombing that killed five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian bus driver.

The government, however, says it will hand to its partners all evidence collected during the investigation into the attack. An official Bulgarian report last month said investigators had reasons to suggest the bombing suspects belonged to Hezbollah's militant wing.

Marin Raykov, appointed interim prime minister pending elections in May, says his country "will not initiate an EU procedure for blacklisting persons and organizations." Raykov made his remarks Friday during a farewell ceremony for the Lebanese ambassador, who pledged Lebanon's full support for the investigation.

In the European Union, only the Netherlands lists Hezbollah as a terrorist group, while Britain blacklists its military wing.